Just back from New Hampshire and Boston over the weekend. My wife and I ended up in New England on one of the COLDEST days since 1875 in some places. Not much snow but the biting cold was like ice cubes stuck to your face.

Attended a conference sponsored by Independents and gave a 3 minute speech. Really a great group of people and very diverse. We'll see what comes from it.

News from Iraq continues to be helicopters shot down and soldiers killed. Big controversy on whether former treasury secretary O'Neill said Bush planned the war from the beginning. Apparently he wrote something about Bush acting like a blind man in a room full of deaf people. Not sure what that is all about but something is up to hear that from a former treasury official.

I'm having to refile my papers for Congress - it will be the 3rd boundary for the district since I started this quest in 2000.  It's supposed to change only once every 10 years. We fought a war against a one party state in Iraq and now some would have one man rule here by certain members of Congress. Is this a role model for the Iraqis.

Boston and Manchester were a great change of pace as we begin a new year. More later...